


A Different Kind of Happily Ever After

by secondalto



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alcohol, M/M, Non-Canon Pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-02
Updated: 2010-03-02
Packaged: 2017-10-07 16:18:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secondalto/pseuds/secondalto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giles shows up for the wedding that wasn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Different Kind of Happily Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://community.livejournal.com/maleslashminis/profile)[**maleslashminis**](http://community.livejournal.com/maleslashminis/) Giles Round. [](http://scarletfiction.livejournal.com/profile)[**scarletfiction**](http://scarletfiction.livejournal.com/) asked for First Time, h/c and a great deal of alcohol. I hope she doesn't mind my interpretation of first time.

Giles had tried his best to get there on time, but weather, delays, and half a dozen other things had conspired against him, making him arrive at the church late. By the time he walked through the doors everything was already in chaos. Anya had locked herself in a room, her sobs clearly audible through the door. Buffy was dealing with the demons while Willow and Tara were handling the humans. Giles spied Dawn in a corner, keeping to herself. He knelt down next to her. She gave him a summary of what had happened.  
   
When she'd finished, he was confused, angry, and sad. Why hadn't Xander called him? He got up, brushed the wrinkles from his suit and left to find the boy. It didn't take him very long to find out where Xander had gone. A clerk at the corner market had dealt with a customer matching Xander's description, said he'd bought a lot of alcohol. Giles took his rented sedan to Xander's apartment.  
   
In the five minutes it took Giles to get there, he had calmed down, more concerned than angry. He suspected that Xander was going to attempt to drown his sorrows and after having seen the boy's family, he wasn't sure that was a good idea. He knocked on the door, waiting patiently for an answer. When he got none, he tried the doorknob, unlocked. Hadn't any of them learnt anything? He opened the door gently, peering around to see if Xander was in sight. Nothing.  
   
"Xander?"  
   
No answer. Giles entered the apartment and closed the door behind him. He admired the small space, proud that Xander had been able to afford it now he had a steady income from the construction job. He walked into the living room, still searching for Xander. He could see a head barely above the top of the sofa.   
   
"Xander?"  
   
He was still in his tuxedo; tie undone, boutonnière lying crushed on the floor. He was surrounded by the empty remains of a six-pack of what laughingly passed for beer in this country, half a bottle of Jack Daniels and various other spirits Giles couldn't quite identify. Xander gulped from a bottle of something clear, then wiped his mouth. He looked up and saw Giles. Surprise lit his eyes.   
   
"Giles. You came. Sorry to say, no one got married. Though I guess you know that by now."  
   
He took another swig from the bottle and Giles winced. He sat on the sofa, moving several bottles in the process. It was a wonder Xander wasn't sick by now, drinking that amount of alcohol in such a short span of time. He picked up a cheap whiskey and took a swig for himself.   
   
"I'm sorry Xander. I wish you had called me, I could have helped."  
   
"S'okay just wasn't meant to be, Giles."  
   
They sat there in silence, Xander continuing to drink. Giles wanted to take the bottle from him, but decided to allow him this. Besides, the hangover he would have in the morning would be a better deterrent than a lecture. Then Xander turned to him and asked him a question.  
   
"Why can't it be easy?"  
   
"What? Love?"  
   
"Exactly. I suck at love. Cheated on Cordy, snuck around with Will, nearly got killed by Faith, now this. And let's not forget mummy girl and insect lady."  
   
"Xander, its just coincidence that…."  
   
"Lie to me."  
   
"I beg your pardon?"  
   
"Lie to me. Buffy said you're really good at lying."  
   
Giles paused, confused until he remembered a night four years ago, standing over the grave of Buffy's friend, Billy.  
   
"Ah, yes." He removed his glasses, giving them a quick polish before donning them again. "It's quite simple, Xander. There is someone for everyone. One day you will find the perfect woman for you; you'll get married, have a large family and live happily ever after."  
   
Giles half expected the same reply he'd gotten from Buffy. But all he got was silence. Xander sat there, bottle in hand, before turning to face him. Then he got up on the sofa to sit beside him.  
   
"Why does it have to be a woman?"  
   
Giles just sputtered, reaching for his glasses again as he struggled for something to say.  
   
"Why can't it be the guy of my dreams?"  
   
"Well, um…Xander…I, uh, didn't think you were…"  
   
"Gay? No. I don't think so. Maybe. I'm just saying there should be that choice."  
   
"Um, have you ever thought of…?"  
   
"Being with another guy? Sometime, yeah."  
   
"Oh, I see."  
   
"Sometimes it was you."  
   
Giles just stared at Xander, green eyes locking with brown. Then Xander moved closer, leaned in and pressed his lips to Giles'. It was soft, hesitant and thoroughly unexpected. It wasn't that he hadn't kissed other men before; it was just that this was Xander, he was still a…well no, Xander had become a man. Then the lips were gone. Giles opened his eyes, waiting for Xander's reaction.  
   
"That was nice."  
   
Then he promptly passed out, falling on to the sofa cushions with a soft thump. Giles smiled softly. He got up, went to the bedroom to find a blanket to cover Xander. He then started to clean up the bottles. He would stay, be there to take care of Xander when he woke up. There would be time for a discussion then.


End file.
